Docile 17

In respect of honoring their dear companion, they decided to build a small monument for Mr. Fox. A few tears were shed by Konohamaru and Hinata as they spoke fondly of their memories with him. Although he wouldn't admit it, Naruto felt sad. That fox was a good companion, and, in all honesty, he felt as if he had lost a friend. He was so wrapped up in making sure Hinata and Konohamaru were safe, he forgot to make sure his friend was secured.

"I'm going to miss him." Konohamaru sniffled as he wiped his eyes.

"Me too," Hinata said, placing a small dumpling on the monument.

They both looked at Naruto, waiting for him to say something but they noticed he was quiet. That was understandable. Nobody knew what happened when they ran away. He was on the top of Naruto's head, but what happened after that was a mystery.

"He was a good friend." Naruto finally spoke. "Hopefully, he's still out there waiting for us."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he found a new family. That fox can be so greedy. He eats everything in sight!" Konohamaru whined.

Hinata placed her hand to her mouth to suppress her giggles. "He's still young."

"I'm telling you, that fox isn't normal." Konohamaru laughed.

They stayed at the stony monument for a little while longer before they decided to leave.

Things were different, and they would like to believe that this experience made them a little more grown.

The path before them was smooth, but the sharp blades of the grass swished back and forth with the wind. Just as the sun shined high in the sky, so were their hopes. Hopes of things getting better, remaining by each other side, and a safe journey.

It would be a long time before things would truly get better, but they had to remain hopeful.

Naruto noticed how a formation was formed as they walked the grassy path. On each of his sides stood Konohamaru and Hinata with Sasuke leading the way. He could feel they were still tense, even though he was alive and well. In a way, he felt that way too. This would be Sasuke and his second time surviving a tsunami and the scars on his arm and leg were now proof of it. He didn't remember much after being on that board. Eventually, someone did find him and that was the last thing he remembered before waking up in a clinic. They tried to stop him from leaving, but he had been out for a few days already and he didn't want Sasuke to wait any longer. He stared strangely at the back of Sasuke's head. Usually, he would have gotten a quick laugh when seeing that duck's butt shape, but now he couldn't. His hair had begun to hang down, symbolizing how much he had grown over the years. How didn't he notice it any sooner?

The world seemed scarier in Konohamaru's eyes. Danger not only lurked in humans but nature too. Was there a way to stop something like that from happening? Could more lives be saved? He felt as if he was placed in the middle of four walls, each had a danger behind it, ready to push, ready to destroy. Which one would succeed? Was this what Naruto was talking about? Was he ready to know what they knew? If this thing… mother nature frightened him the most, would the thing Naruto tell him frighten him twice as much?

He brushed those thoughts away. "Are we heading home?" He questioned.

"No. We're heading to Suna." Sasuke answered.

Konohamaru was surprised they weren't returning home.

Both Naruto and Hinata briefly looked at one another.

"Why are we still heading to Suna?" Hinata questioned. "I'm not going to let you abandon me."

"I'm not going to abandon you anymore," Naruto muttered. "We were instructed to go to Suna to pick up an important message from Shikamaru's father."

He looked down at Hinata's pinky she'd stuck out. "Promise me you won't leave me once we get there."

He wrapped his pinky around hers and he smiled briefly. "I promise I won't."

Although he promised her, he wouldn't leave her, a part of him felt she would be the one to break their promise once she got reunited with her sister.

"Hinata, I want you to know I'm not embarrassed by you but let's keep this a secret between us," Naruto patted the spot next to him for her to take a seat. "I still need to protect you, and Konohamaru. People should know we're not together until then. I'm afraid if someone were to find out, it would put you in grave danger."

Hinata placed her hand over his and nodded. "I understand, Naruto. I know you're not ashamed of me because you're a man of your word. I can only imagine how deep in the lion's den you truly are, but I promise you I'll do everything in my power to protect you too."

Naruto gently placed a kiss on the top of her hand. "Thank you for everything, Hinata."

"Just promise me, you'll do your best to stay alive."

"I promise you. I just want to remain by your side forever because you are my missing piece. A world without you is something I don't want to experience anymore."

There was a splash of pink that landed on her cheeks. "If only you could see from my eyes how much I truly love you, Hinata."

"The way you look at me gives me a clue," She smiled warmly.

She closed her eyes as Naruto leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

"The upcoming villages are going to be dangerous if we continue to go by land. We need to keep a low profile." Suddenly, Sasuke stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder to look at Hinata.

"It's going to take at least a week and some days to get to where we need to be," Naruto commented. "Hinata," His voice suddenly turned quiet. "You're going to have to change."


When he said change, she didn't have this in mind.

Hinata stared at her reflection in the mirror as she twisted and turned to get a good look at herself. Wearing men's trousers felt so strange. Although she was able to move around freely, she felt flustered, and she could only imagine what her father would say. He was against wearing Westernized clothes and banned anyone in the clan from doing so.

She adjusted the wool cap over her head, careful not to mess up her hair underneath.

"Hinata," Naruto called out from behind the closed door.

The corner of her lips curled when she heard his voice. Everything felt normal again with him being by her side and she couldn't help but sigh dreamily. That's what this whole thing felt like. A dream. Never in a million years did she expect her master… No. She didn't expect Naruto to have feelings for her. She thought she had heard incorrectly, and she would occasionally pinch herself to see if she was truly dreaming. Now, only if Mr. Fox was here with them, their family would be complete.

Naruto stepped back when the door opened and Hinata came out shyly. Some people wouldn't take it lightly if they were to discover she was a woman in men's clothing, but the roads were going to be dangerous from what Sasuke said. She was willing to be uncomfortable if it meant ensuring their safety.

"Are the roads really dangerous?" Hinata questioned.

He nodded. "It was fine when we were traveling on water, but now I'm afraid it's going to be a little dangerous. Once we reach Nagami then you can change."

The two stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. She couldn't help but lower her head when she felt Naruto staring at her.

"I know it's a little weird seeing me in these clothes." She said, tugging at the white sleeve shirt.

"It is," Naruto admitted as he rolled up the sleeves of her shirt. "But you're still beautiful no matter what."

Their hearts sync in beat as they stared fondly at one another. Just as they felt themselves leaning in, Konohamaru emerged out of nowhere.

"Woah, Hinata!" he exclaimed as he stared in shock. "It feels so strange seeing you dress like that!"

Naruto cleared his throat as he rolled up her next sleeve.

"Father would have thrown a fit if he saw me."

"Times are changing now. Who knows what the future will look like?" Konohamaru said, placing his hand behind his back. "What do you think, sir?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle," Naruto responded.

Konohamaru grinned. "I can't wait to see what the world is going to look like in the next twenty years."

"Marco would be all grown up by then."

Both Konohamaru and Naruto groaned at the mention of the young boy's name. "It's always about Marco," Konohamaru whined. "Marco this. Marco that." He pouted, crossing his arms.

"Because he's so cute." Hinata squealed, following Konohamaru out of the store.

"I see you've decided to do the right thing," Sasuke said, walking beside Naruto.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, nothing gets past the almighty Sasuke. It's that Uchiha eye, isn't it? I swear they see everything."

Sasuke's upper eye twitched.

"We've decided to keep this a secret until the time being," Naruto commented. "It won't do us any good if everyone knows. I'm afraid they'll come after her to get to me if Danzo was to ever find out."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "I feel you've made the right decision. When this thing is over, then we'll be able to live our life how it was intended to be."

Naruto's cheeks darkened. "Thanks," He muttered.

"Someone has to be the one to knock you in shape. Wasn't it a good thing I tagged along?" Sasuke smirked.

"I should have left you behind," Naruto mumbled, but truthfully, he was glad he didn't.

Without Sasuke being with them, he could only imagine what would have happened to them.

Sasuke didn't respond because he understood what Naruto meant.


They only had so much money left on them, so they had to conserve what they had until they could make it to the banks.

While everyone was fast asleep, Naruto was up staring at the darkness. He was glad Konohamaru slept peacefully without waking out of his sleep, but he found it difficult to sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could smell that salty water. He could feel the water pulling him out of the brothel causing his head to dip in and out of the water countless times. As much as he tried to forget about it, it was hard to do so.

Sighing, he rolled to his side. This was normal is what he told himself. He would give it some time before he got over this issue because it was still fresh.

He decided to count sheep to see if it would help him to fall asleep, but it didn't help. Perhaps, if he had Hinata by his side then falling asleep would be easier, right?

Eventually, the sun brightened the room, and Naruto blinked. He wasn't able to fall asleep.

Konohamaru chewed on the fish, still a little tired from their journey. From walking to taking buggies every few hours was quite exhausting.

Naruto splashed his face with some water, and he instantly felt his chest tighten. He took a deep breath and leaned over the faucet.

Grabbing the towel, he patted his face dry and did a few breathing exercises before leaving the restroom.

They were all tired, and miserable from the walk to their destination. Now, Hinata finally understood just how dangerous each spot was and it was hard not to draw attention, especially with people staring at them. It was clear they weren't keen on strangers.

In broad daylight, people were mugged or there were a bunch of women who decorated the streets trying to get anyone's attention.

The tip of Konohamaru's ears turned red when one of the women called out to him by referring to him as the scruffy brown hair boy.

With each passing day, it felt shorter and shorter. Luckily, they did not face any danger although they would occasionally bump into some scammers along the roadside.

Their last stop before they reached Nagami consisted of them needing to catch a ferry. However, the ferry would not arrive for a few days, and traveling by buggy was going to draw a lot of attention, something Sasuke and Naruto did not want.

They remembered the last time they did that with Kakashi. It was not a pleasant experience.

"We're going to stay here for a few days until the ferry comes," Sasuke mentioned.

A look of horror washed over Konohamaru's face. "B-but I thought you said it would be best to go by land."

"To reach the land of Nagami, it's best to travel by ferry," Sasuke responded. "Carrying you two with us is going to be a lot of work."

Konohamaru chewed on his lips. "What if there's another tsunami? Wouldn't it be safer to stay on land?"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. "Hm. I think Konohamaru is right, Sasuke. Let's rest up for a few days before we continue our journey."

Hinata knew Naruto was lying and normally she wouldn't agree with something like that, but it was obvious Konohamaru looked as if he was going to panic any second.

Sasuke grumbled something before adjusting his sack over his shoulder. "Let's stop for something to eat first before we find a boarding house."

As they were walking, a young woman accidentally brushed passed Hinata causing her to stumble to her bottom.

"Oh no, I'm sorry sir," The young woman said, helping Hinata up.

Naruto glared at the woman from the corner of her eyes as he watched her every move.

"It's fine," Hinata mumbled, taking hold of the woman's hand.

She bowed before walking off.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Konohamaru asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, adjusting her cap. She glanced over her shoulder and her eyes met the woman's own momentarily.

The woman was just a little taller than her, but she was quite beautiful.

They ended up settling at a little restaurant that served ramen. Naruto was sad he didn't get to eat as much as he wanted, but he understood the position they were in. Hinata could only laugh to herself when she saw him wearing that adorable pout. She did offer to give him hers, but he declined.

As they were heading to a boarding house, Hinata noticed the young woman from earlier following them. She wondered if Naruto or Sasuke had noticed, but she'd been following them for some time.

She was extremely beautiful, and the pink kimono with green obi suited her very well.

Hinata hadn't realized she was staring at the young girl until she saw her stop and smile. Flustered, she tilted her cap down and quickened her pace to reach Naruto's side.

"We don't get that many visitors out here, so the ferry only comes every so three days." The innkeeper said, showing them around. "Since we don't get visitors often, I ain't gon' charge you too much."

"Thank you," Sasuke said, speaking for all of them. "But we'll be traveling by land," He said, briefly looking at Konohamaru.

"Handsome men like you don't have any business wandering around with no female companion," she said, placing her hand on her hips. "If you walk down the road, look for the red rooftops. You'll find a lot of women to your liking."

Konohamaru tried to hide his ears as he could feel them going red.

"Breakfast is at eight. Make sure you put your clothes outside at seven-thirty sharp so I can wash them clothes." She huffed. "If I had some daughters, I would have married them to you, but God only gave me some good-for-nothing sons. I swear they're so lousy. All they do is eat, sleep, and shit." She grumbled. "Here's ya'll rooms." She gave them two keys which Sasuke gladly took. He was hoping the woman would leave, but she stayed a few minutes longer talking about her late husband who died. Sasuke couldn't help but shiver as he could have sworn, she'd look him up and down.

When she was gone, Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.

Naruto felt out of it. All he wanted to do was drop to the floor and go to sleep. During their travel time, he was only able to get a few hours of sleep.

Without waiting for Sasuke to talk, he snatched the key from his hand and opened one of the bedroom doors. The trio watched as he fell onto one of the beds and pulled the blanket over his head.

Sasuke knew Naruto didn't look too well and he wanted to get a doctor to check on his arm in fear it was infected. He groaned mentally as he did not want to talk to that woman again.

"You two make sure you're not too loud so Naruto doesn't wake up. I'm going to find a doctor so they can check his arm."

Hinata and Konohamaru stared worriedly at Naruto who didn't so much as move.

"He's probably really sleepy," Hinata whispered. "Let's not disturb him, Konohamaru." She closed the door slowly.

"I'll be right back," Sasuke said, stepping away.

"Should we look around the garden?" Konohamaru suggested.

Hinata was worried about Naruto, but she didn't want to wake him up. "Yes, but let's stay in the area. Naruto isn't with us, and we need to make sure we're not drawing any unwanted attention to us."

He nodded.

The garden wasn't much to look at. There were a few flowers, but nothing caught their attention. They sat side by side on the stony bench, talking, well, it was mostly Konohamaru doing the talking. He couldn't stop talking about Naruto and how glad he was that he'd returned to them.

Hinata listened attentively, but she wanted to ask him where he'd wandered off to the night. That left a funny feeling within her, so she decided not to ask.

"Eh, Hinata. I'll be right back." Konohamaru said, shooting up. "I have to use the restroom."

"Okay."

She swung her legs back and forth on the stone bench. Once they returned to Konoha, she knew she had to act like they didn't confess their love to one another, and she'd only prayed that she didn't give it away. All she wanted was this thing that would possibly end his life to go away.

She suddenly smacked her cheeks. "He wants to marry me." Her cheeks burned so she couldn't stop smiling. "Hinata Namikaze." she muttered. "I wish Papa and Mama were alive to finally see how much of a woman I've become."

"Hi there,"

Hinata quickly turned around and her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," The woman quickly apologized.

"No, no it's fine," Hinata said, looking back and forth.

"Um, do you mind if I sit down?"

Hinata nodded as she scooted over. The girl gladly accepted, sitting next to Hinata. "I take it you're new to town? Waiting for the ferry?"

"Uh yes," She whispered, afraid she would give away her true identity.

"I wish you the best on your travels. We don't get that many people out here, so it's rare to see new faces,"

"The innkeeper said the same thing."

"I'm surprised she hasn't scared you off. Those other men, are you all traveling together?"

Hinata nodded.

"I hope we'll be able to see each other again. I know this place doesn't look like much, but there are so many other things to do and see. Do you like flowers?"

She glanced up at the woman and nodded.

"There's a flower field not too far from here. Maybe we can visit it together before you leave?"

Hinata played with her index fingers, which the young woman found to be cute. "You're a cute boy," She laughed.

"T-thank you."

"What's your name?"

"Hinata," She answered.

"Hm, Hinata. That's a nice name." She said, stretching her hand toward the sun. "My name is Tenten."

Hinata cocked her head to the side. "Tenten?"

She laughed. "I know. I know. It's such a weird name, isn't it? But Mama decided on Tenten. I guess she figured it would be easier to pronounce." She shrugged.

The girl had a rich laugh that complimented her beauty. The more Hinata stared at her, she realized how young she'd looked.

Seeing the young man gazing at her, Tenten's smile widened as she leaned closer to him. Embarrassed, Hinata quickly stood up but lost her footing. Tenten held out her hands to catch Hinata.

When she did, her eyes widened as Hinata's cap fell from her head unleashing her long flowy hair. If that didn't make things more awkward, Tenten's cheeks turned red when she realized that this young man had breasts.

"You're a girl," Tenten muttered.

Hinata quickly grabbed the cap, putting her hair underneath. "Please don't say anything."

"I won't," she said, letting go of Hinata. "Are those men you're traveling with? Or are they women too?" She scratched the back of her head. Looking at Hinata, she should have realized sooner that she was a girl, but those other three couldn't be.

"No."

Her eyes widened. "They're not hurting you, are they?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, they're not."

She cast her eyes down to the ground. "Oh, okay. If they do hurt you, come to me and I'll lead you away from them. I see a lot of women travel with men around these parts and they're never for any good reasons."

Hinata plopped herself next to Tenten. "They're good men."

"That's good to hear."

"Have you lived in these parts long?" Hinata asked.

"Six years now."

"Is there really a flower field around here?"

Tenten nodded. "They're so many flowers there. I can show you if you like."

"I'll have to get permission first, but if I do, I'll be happy if you can show me. I enjoy looking at flowers and collecting them."

Tenten couldn't help but smile. "Looking at flowers is my favorite too."

"Hinata, I'm back!" Konohamaru shouted as he ran to the bench. He stopped when he noticed another person there and she'd look oddly familiar. Where did he see her before?

"I should get going, but let's meet again Hinata."

"Take care, Tenten," Hinata said, waving her hand.

Konohamaru eyed the girl suspiciously before taking a seat next to Hinata. "Who is that girl? Does she stay in the boarding house?"

"Oh, her name is Tenten. She's local to this area."

"Oh," Konohamaru frowned. "Remember what Naruto and Sasuke told us. Be careful."

Hinata nodded. "Hai, hai."


"Your friend is too stubborn." Doctor Hayashi said, thumping the blonde hair man on his forehead. Naruto shot the old doctor with a glare. "Too stubborn." He muttered.

Sasuke shook his head. "I tell him that all the time."

"Shikata ga nai," The doctor said to himself as he placed the hot needle through Naruto's arms. The man flinched as he could feel the needle pushing in and out of him. "There's nothing you can do about things, so it's best to let these things go. It'll surely be an early grave for you."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow questionably at Naruto.

"Take these pills. It'll help with the pain and cause you to sleep better."

Naruto eyed the pills with uncertainty. "Old man, you know the use of opium was banned a long time ago, right?"

"You disrespectful little brat," Doctor Hayashi said, hitting the young man on his shoulder.

"Ow!" Naruto whined.

"You! You! Take the pills or sleep in pain. I don't care." He grumbled as he packed his belongings.

Sasuke bowed at the old doctor who had left.

"Are you sure everything is okay with you?" Sasuke asked.

"I wouldn't listen to that quack of a doctor. I'm fine." Naruto said, running his fingers through his hair. He looked at the clear white bag before tossing it into the trash.

"You sure that was a good idea?"

"We're in a strange town. I would rather not be their test subject for drugs. When we return to Konoha, I'll have Baa-chan prescribe something for me."

"You're having problems sleeping again, aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Sasuke sighed. "You've had this problem for years now. I wonder if Dr. Tsunade will be able to make a diagnosis soon."

"Who knows." He muttered. "As long as I'm able to get a few hours of sleep, I'm fine."

Sasuke nodded. "I'll take the little guy with me."

Hearing that made Naruto turn red which made Sasuke smirk. "She comes from a traditional household, so make sure you tie the knots before then."

Naruto threw a pillow at Sasuke who closed the door before it could hit him.

He had every intention of marrying Hinata before he ever thought of laying a finger on her.

"Ah, why did he say something like that," Naruto said, wiping his hand against his face. "He can be so embarrassing at times," He muttered.


Konohamaru was a little intimidated by Sasuke. It was hard to figure out which mood the man was in since he always wore that stoic look. He and Naruto were complete opposites of one another, so he could only imagine how their friendship came to be.

"Konohamaru," Sasuke called out.

"Yes, sir?"

"How good are you at keeping secrets?" He raised his eyebrow at the boy.

"I can keep a secret." He responded.

Humming, Sasuke turned his back on the boy. "If you see anything out of the ordinary, just pretend you didn't."

The youngling cocked his head to the side. "Um… yes, sir," He muttered.


Hinata traced her slender finger against the white wrap around Naruto's arm. "What did the doctor say?"

He looked at his arm then at Hinata. "He says it's getting better."

"Did he give you any medication? It doesn't hurt right?"

"I'm honestly not a fan of taking pills." He replied.

"There are some books in the Hyuga library that had natural remedies to fight off infection and pain," Hinata explained. Just thinking about that made her shoulders lower. The Hyuga clan had a vast library that had so many hidden gems. Those books were considered to be valuable, and she wouldn't be surprised if anyone ransacked the place.

Naruto turned on his stomach and took hold of Hinata's hand. "Soon you'll get it all back. I promise you."

She placed her head on top of the pillow and the two faced one another.

"I'm here now, so it's okay for you to go to sleep," Hinata said, caressing his cheek. "I want to be someone you can lean on, just as I lean on you. So, please don't hesitate to tell me anything."

He closed his eyes as he took in her warm touch. "Before my mother passed away, I had difficulties sleeping. It got really bad after she died, and I found myself staying up for days sometimes. Baa-chan gave me some medication to help, but I don't like taking pills." He opened his eyes.

"Oh my," Hinata said, surprised. "Sleep is important. Did Dr. Tsunade ever find out why?"

Naruto shook his head, causing his blonde hair to follow suit. "I used to get these strange headaches too, but surprisingly I haven't had any in a long time. As far as my sleep schedule goes, I only get enough sleep when I'm with you, Hinata."

"What do you see when you close your eyes?"

His blue eyes wavered which Hinata noticed.

"I see a lot of things I wish not to, but please don't fret." He quickly said once, noticing the concerned look on her face.

Hinata leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I'm here, so please sleep peacefully Naruto."

Hearing the softness of her voice made him close his eyes. She pulled the blanket over them and would occasionally run her finger against his arm. It took some time, but eventually, he did end up falling asleep.

"Oh Naruto," She thought to herself. "How much of this burden will you continue to bear?"


Within two days, the ferry would arrive, and Sasuke couldn't wait! Not only was this place disgusting, but so was its owner. Like any Uchiha member, they had a keen eye that was easy to spot unwanted people. That old hag watched him like a hawk, and even now he could feel her dark eyes stare hungrily at him. He chewed down on the rice in annoyance while listening to Konohamaru talk to Naruto. Apparently, Hinata's identity was exposed.

Konohamaru stared shockingly at Hinata. "How did she find out?"

Both Sasuke and Naruto took a quick glimpse at one another before returning to their rice bowl.

"She caught me when I lost my footing. I do apologize." Hinata said, picking at the rice. "But she seems like a genuine person. She's nice."

"Is that okay, sir?" Konohamaru asked, gazing at Naruto.

"That's fine. We'll be out of here soon." He answered. "Just be observant and don't let your guard down."

There wasn't much to do in this small village, so they spent most of their time in boarding house or Hinata and Konohamaru would walk the gardens. Naruto stayed inside to rest when he could while Sasuke decided to write to Kiba, explaining the situation. He would have written to him sooner, but one would say he wasn't in his right mind during Naruto's absences. Honestly, all he could think about was how he was going to confront their friends about Naruto. A lot of heartbreaks would have occurred. That dobe was too blind to see just how many people actually loved him and would miss him dearly, but hopefully, he would see them in a different light now that he'd had Hinata by his side.

"I'm so happy I can shout!" Konohamaru grinned. He stopped down next to Hinata, who was looking at some flowers.

"Is that so? Why are you so happy?" She looked over her shoulder to look at him.

"Because Naruto is here with us." Konohamaru smile widened.

Hinata was surprised to see such a look in Konohamaru's eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you really love Naruto, Konohamaru." She went back to viewing the flowers, occasionally feeling their petals.

There was a moment of silence before Konohamaru nodded. "I do! I want to be just like him when I grow up." He clenched his fist and nodded. "But don't tell him I said that." Konohamaru quickly said. It was obvious he was embarrassed.

"I'm sure Naruto loves you too," Hinata commented. "Don't be embarrassed."

"Well, of course, you would say that. You're a girl." He fell on his bottom because his feet began to hurt. "I didn't have any brothers or sisters but being around Naruto makes me feel like I finally know what it's like to have a big brother."

Hinata nodded every so often while listening to Konohamaru's rant. He seemed to be in one of those talking spells, so she decided to let him speak. She gave him her undivided attention and that seemed to fuel him as he moved animatedly.

He was out of breath by then, so he sat underneath the dead tree and didn't say anything more.

The two stayed like that for some time, watching the flowers move back and forth with the wind that blew every so often. The garden was in terrible shape, but it was surprising to see the brightest of flowers grow in such a gloomy place.

It wasn't many of them in this housing it was only six people in total, including the landlord.

Hinata pushed her knees against her chest, placing her chin on the top of her knees. Naruto was on her mind. She wondered what she could do to ease his mind. He had a hard time letting go of things from what she could tell which wasn't good for his health. That could be why he had these strange headaches or sleepless nights.

"Hinata,"

Looking up, Hinata smiled when she saw Tenten approaching her. "Tenten!" She exclaimed, standing up to greet the girl.

Konohamaru looked at her briefly; he blushed slightly when she stared at him. He scattered to his feet to bow. "Good day."

"What a cute boy," Tenten laughed which made him blush at the compliment.

"Konohamaru, this is Tenten. Tenten, this is Konohamaru." Hinata introduced.

Tenten bowed. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Same here," He muttered.

"What brings you here?" Hinata asked.

"I just wanted to see you again." She answered. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. We're just outside because it's not much to do in this part of town."

She nodded. "A small village is a little run down," she said truthfully. "Not many people know about this village."

"But how are you doing?"

The girl grinned sheepishly. "I'm fine!"

Konohamaru didn't know why, but he felt uneasy. It wasn't because he found her untrustworthy, but just hearing that made him feel it was a lie. She looked as if she didn't get one ounce of sleep because her eyebags were extremely dark.

"Why don't we sit down on the bench?" Hinata said, pointing to it.

Nodding, Tenten followed behind her. Konohamaru stayed behind to observe as Naruto would say to make sure no harm came to Hinata.

"Your ferry will be here soon," Tenten pointed out.

Hinata placed her finger on her mouth, quickly glimpsing Konohamaru to see if he had heard. "Whatever you do, don't mention ferry in front of him."

Tenten quickly apologized.

"No, it's fine," Hinata said. "These few weeks…" Sighing, she swung her legs. "We have experienced a bad tsunami a few weeks ago."

"You were there in the Isles when that tsunami happened?" Tenten questioned, dumbfounded.

"We were," Hinata said, lowering her head. "Konohamaru is still getting over it, so right now the mere mention of ferries or water makes him uneasy."

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," Tenten said, placing her hand on the top of Hinata's own. "That was probably traumatizing. I only found out because a man told me about it."

"It was," Her voice softened. "We almost lost our master, and we lost a good friend."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Master? Are you a servant?"

Hinata laughed. "Yes."

Tenten looked at her oddly because it was hard to detect. "You look so kept." She mentioned. "It's hard to believe one of those men is your master. They all look so young."

"He is young. Nineteen to be exact."

"Oh my," Tenten said. "How old are you, Hinata?"

"Nineteen."

"You look so young," Tenten eyed her.

"You think so?"

"I remember when I was nineteen."

"How old are you, Tenten?"

"I'm twenty-one."

A slight laughter escaped from Hinata. "Oh Tenten, that wasn't that long ago."

"Well, it feels like that." She pouted.

The two had chattered for some time, unaware of the passing of time. It was only when Tenten's stomach growled did they realize how late in the afternoon it was. Tenten's cheek was undeniably red, and it only got redder when her stomach continued to growl.

"Sorry. I haven't eaten since early morning." She'd lied. It had been quite a few days since she'd eaten anything, besides scraps of bread and a little water. In her position, eating wasn't ideal.

"It's fine. One time my stomach growled so loudly and when I told it to stop, it did it again. It was embarrassing," she said, thinking about the late-night encounter with Naruto.

"Hinata. Konohamaru. It's supper time."

The three looked back to see Naruto approaching him. Tenten scattered to her feet, her head lowered when she saw the man look at her. "Good day, sir."

Naruto looked at Hinata briefly, then the young woman. "You must be Tenten. Hinata had told me some things about you."

She looked at Hinata, surprisingly. "There are no secrets between my master and me." Hinata smiled.

"I trust you'll keep Hinata's identity a secret until we depart." It wasn't a question, but a demand.

She nodded. "Yes, sir. I do not need to blabber to anyone."

Tenten covered her face when her stomach cried out. It was embarrassing when it was just Hinata, but she felt she could cry since everyone had heard.

"Come on. Let's eat." Naruto motioned, holding the door open for them. Konohamaru eagerly entered the house. He was feeling a little famished himself. Hinata followed along after him. She was a little thirsty. Tenten noticed the young man was still holding the door open. "Aren't you hungry?"

A sudden realization washed over her face. She moved to the open door, but stopped in her tracks as she gazed over the man; almost as if she was studying him.

"The only form of payment I expect from you is to treat Hinata with respect. If you have any ill intentions, I suggest you leave now."

Tenten shook her head. "I wouldn't hurt her, sir."

Naruto nodded. "The food isn't much here but come eat before you leave."

"Thank you!" She bowed before racing into the house.

Sasuke eyed Naruto when he sat down at the table. He was surprised to see a girl join their table, but he could only assume it was this Tenten person Hinata was talking about.

"I was so hungry," Konohamaru said, gobbling up the rice. "Who knew traveling can be a lot of work?"

Hinata scolded him. "Konohamaru, you better be mindful before you bite your—"

"Ow!" He quickly dropped his chopsticks.

Sighing, Hinata shook her head. "I was trying to warn you."

Tears formed in the corner of Konohamaru's eyes.

Tenten watched the two, then went to look at the bowl of rice. How long had it been since she had rice? Two weeks ago? Shakenly, she took up the bowl of rice and began to eat it slowly. Suddenly, it felt as if the entire room went quiet and all eyes landed on her.

"Huh?" She blinked and she soon realized she was crying. "Sorry," Tenten laughed.

"Who wouldn't cry after eating this stale rice?" Naruto muttered. Hinata shot him a glare. "What?" He cried. "I was just saying."

Sasuke chuckled.

Hearing that made Tenten laugh and she nodded. "You're right. It is a little stale."

They didn't mention her tears, and they continued to eat acting as if it didn't happen.


Naruto closed his eyes in relaxation as Hinata's fingers gently swept through his hair. This feeling was just so hard to describe but he felt as if his heart could melt. Gone are the days when he would be gullible or even oblivious to his feelings and desires. Hinata, his woman, and soon-to-be wife was within arms reach. Now he wondered if his father felt the same way about his mother. He probably did; he had built an entire mansion for her.

He opened his eyes when he felt Hinata's fingers stop touching him.

"I'm fine." He said before she could ask.

This made her pout. "How do you even know I was about to ask you that?"

"Call it an intuition," Naruto said, tilting his head back to look at her.

She kissed him on the nose which made him light up. "Since you know everything," She grinned.

Naruto's eyes glistened. "May I have another?"

"Yes, you may." She gave him another kiss on the nose.

Smiling, he shifted a little on the board floor.

"Naruto." Hinata called.

"Hm?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you about Konohamaru."

"What about him?"

"You know he's still a child and he needs to be around children his age. Don't you think we should send him to school?" Hinata inquired. "I'm worried about his future. A young man without education won't make it in this society."

"He's been going there from time to time," Naruto responded.

Hinata's eyes widened. "You knew? How long?"

"For a few months now." He shrugged. "Iruka told me."

"Iruka?" Hinata mouthed. "Who is that?"

"He's the schoolteacher," Naruto answered. "He told me when I went there to drop some documents off at the academy. If he had told me that was something he truly wanted to do, I would have let him go full-time."

The bed creaked when Hinata got up to sit in front of Naruto on the floor. "Really?"

"Well, you are right about one thing. Being educated is going to go a long way for Konohamaru, but I would have just sent him there because it meant we could be alone for some time." He unknowingly blushed.

Hinata felt flustered just hearing that. Naruto held her hands into his, caressing it every so often. "I'm not surprised you're concerned about Konohamaru's future. He's almost of age, so he needs to start making his way into society."

"He admires you, Naruto."

"I don't understand why," He frowned. "I'm a grouch."

"You're not just a grouch," She smiled. "You're a very honest man who just wants the best for others. I quite admire that about you. You don't hold back." She smiled fondly. "I remembered when you defended me in the market yard when those soldiers smeared my name." She held up her fist and swung as she tried to mimic what Naruto had done to them.

When she did that, Naruto's eyes widened which she didn't notice. He could have sworn he felt a slight wind brush past him when she swung her fist. "Oh my, Hinata," He smiled, taking hold of her fist. "Put away these hands before you hurt somebody." He chuckled.

She couldn't help but smile. "Well, hopefully, one day these fists can protect you just as you protect me."

"Whether you believe it or not, they already have." He kissed the back of her hand.

Hinata felt giggly inside that she couldn't help but throw herself at him. He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to squeeze her too tightly.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too, Hinata."


It didn't take much time for Tenten and Hinata's friendship to blossom. It was around this same time; she'd come to visit Hinata to check on her well-being. She knew the time was drawing close for them to depart, and it would be a lie if she didn't feel some type of way.

Hinata was a good woman, and the men around her seemed just as nice which was shocking. Tenten wasn't too keen on men, nor truly trust them; especially when she found a young woman traveling with a group of them. That was never a good thing. So, perhaps she was concerned for Hinata's safety when she discovered she was a woman. But just seeing those men's encounters with Hinata made Tenten somewhat easy.

They were nice, especially that blonde hair man who she figured was their master. He seemed to be especially fond of Hinata, but that didn't make her think differently of the girl. She was fairly beautiful, so it was only natural for men to want to be attracted to her.

She looked down at Hinata when she slipped her hands into hers. They were currently at a lake trying to catch some fish for tonight's supper. Naruto had grown bored of the stale rice, and even Sasuke, although he wouldn't admit it. That was that Uchiha pride. Konohamaru had never been fishing, so he was ecstatic to go.

Tenten and Hinata stayed under the tree in the shade, while they watch the three men fish. It felt calm and peaceful, something Tenten wasn't used to.

"Like this, sir?" Konohamaru asked, trying to maneuver the line in the water.

"Keep still unless you want the fishes to scare," Naruto said.

"This is my first time fishing," Konohamaru grinned at him.

"Is it? Well, I'll make sure we go fishing when we get back to Konoha."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto briefly, before a slight smirk welcomed his face. He would have never expected the dobe to have a fatherly side. He almost laughed. Naruto a father? He prayed Kami helped them all. He prayed his first child was a girl to teach him patience.

"Hinata, do you think you'll ever come back here?" Tenten asked, unexpectedly.

The two girls were arm in arm as if they had been friends for a long time. This scene brought back memories of Yoko. Departing from a true friend was surely heartbroken. She wondered how the young girl was doing now.

"For you, I will." Hinata nodded. "You've been kind to me."

"Really? If it's anyone who showed me kindness was you and your master. I've never really had someone welcome me with open arms, so I am grateful I got to experience something like that." The pain in her voice was undetected, but it was there.

Tenten didn't have any friends. All she did was work, roam the streets, and work again. Many women went to and fro, but Tenten was still alone. The other girls didn't like her because they considered her to be a beauty, even in her old age so they stayed away from her. But no matter how bad it got she tried her best to look for a bright future, even if it felt pointless.

"Your ferry comes tomorrow," Tenten spoke softly, so Konohamaru could not hear. "Have a safe trip."

Hinata knew she could be a crybaby, but meeting people like Tenten and Yoko was a dream come true. Even in this cruel world, some people were genuine to her.

"Sometimes I wish I can take all my friends home so we can stay together forever." Hinata sighed. "I sometimes dream of having a girlfriend I can talk with like Sakura and Ino."

"Sakura and Ino?"

"They're my friends too, but I don't think I have a strong connection with them. They have each other, so I feel like I interrupt things when I'm around them." She pushed her knees against her chest and hugged it. "Don't you wish you had girlfriends to confess to?"

Tenten's eyes darted to the sky, then back to Hinata. "I do."

Hinata turned her head towards Tenten and smiled. She'd look so innocent and pure, compared to her. Now, she felt bad for thinking that she and Hinata could ever be on the same boat. They were both servants, but Hinata was different from her.

When Hinata was about to speak, she noticed how alert Tenten had gotten. There was a faint whistling sound that gathered Hinata's attention. "Do you hear that too?"

"I have to go," Tenten said, scattering to her feet. "Please take care, Hinata!" She wanted to say more, anything to make these moments last a little longer but she needed to go.

Hinata was confused by her demeanor, and she also got to her feet. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, but I have to go. Please thank your master for feeding me. I'm sorry." Tenten said, quickly leaving them behind.

"Tenten!" Hinata shouted, but the girl had already run off.

Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Hinata alone.

Just as she was about to sit back down, she noticed a little flowered pouch that was not there before. "Tenten! Your pouch." She said, quickly grabbing it from the ground to catch the girl.

Both Konohamaru and Sasuke looked at one another.

"Hinata! Don't go running off." Naruto shouted. He dropped the line in the water, leaving behind Sasuke and Konohamaru to finish.

Hinata saw the tall girl running in the distance, and she chased after her, calling to her but it seemed she did not hear her. Suddenly, she made a sharp turn into a garden surrounded by trees.

She hummed as she wandered into the area, she saw Tenten go. She could have sworn she saw Tenten go down this path. All of a sudden, her heart sank to the pits of her stomach when she heard a soft whimper coming from someone. She approached the cause of the whimper.

"You stupid bitch! You've been to work for three hours and yet you've returned with no money!"

Hinata hid behind a tree when she heard a man's voice growl.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Tenten cried loudly. "I'll do better!"

Her eyes widened once she realized who that voice belonged to. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she found herself brave enough to look through the bushes. On the ground was Tenten, trying to protect herself from a man who was repeatedly whipping her with a leather belt. Her chest tightened as it brought back memories of when she used to get whipped for doing things incorrectly, but this was much worse than that.

Sighing, the man grunted putting his belt back on. "I've been too lenient with you. I have a few clients for you tonight, so you better not be late." He spat on her before leaving.

Hinata hid herself behind the tree when the man walked past her. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that silly grin off his face, but she was more concerned about Tenten who had not moved an inch. When the coast was cleared, she rushed to Tenten's side, and she was mortified to see the bruises and welts all over her skin.

"Tenten," Hinata called out.

The girl trembled, shaking her head. There was no way she could look at Hinata. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She cried. "P-please just leave me," She choked.

"Please stop apologizing," Hinata whispered. She wiped the tears away that was threatening to fall. There was no time to cry. She needed to be brave for Tenten. "Let me help you."

"N-no one can help me." She replied in a soft tone. "I'm just used goods," Tenten whispered.

"You're not used goods, Tenten," Hinata said. Carefully, she moved her hand towards her and gently stroked her hair. "You're Tenten. A good woman." Hinata felt crushed when the girl trembled uncontrollably at her touch.

"I'm no woman," She sobbed. "I- I—" She couldn't say the words she wanted to say because she did not want to ruin her relationship with Hinata. Secretly, she adored Hinata and didn't want her to think of her any differently.

"I can give you some money. There's no need to fret. Just give it to him so he may leave you alone." Hinata spoke softly.

Tenten's eyes widened, and the trembling stopped momentarily. "Y-you would do that for me?" She questioned, looking at Hinata briefly.

"Yes," Hinata said, smiling. "You've been nice to me during my time here, and I enjoy your company."

"You don't care if I'm stupid, clumsy, or good for nothing?" Tenten asked, her big chocolate eyes widened even more.

"You're none of those things, Tenten." Hinata frowned.

"But I am," She whispered. "Hinata, I'm a prostitute."

Upon hearing that, Hinata's eyes widened when Tenten said that. Seeing the look on her face made Tenten feel terrible. "When we first met, I believed you to be a boy who would be gentle with me if I was to offer you, my service," she admitted. "I'm sorry for lying to you this entire time."

"Oh Tenten," Hinata sobbed. It was not because of Tenten lying to her, but what she had to endure. "Is that man forcing you to sell your body?"

Ashamed, Tenten looked at the dirty ground and then nodded her head slowly. "B-but it isn't bad! He feeds me, and I have a place to stay," she said, glancing at Hinata. "I- I—" Her vision became blurry by the tears blinding her view. "I'm sorry."

Hinata wrapped her arms around her gently and rocked her back and forth. "It's okay, Tenten. It's okay. I'm sorry for not realizing this sooner."

Once the girl had calmed down slightly, Tenten wiped her tears away and put on a forced smile. "I'm fine! P-please don't tell your master about this," She asked.

"Maybe Naruto can help!" Hinata suggested.

"No!" Tenten shouted. "Please! Please don't tell anyone!" She demanded, gripping Hinata. "Please!" She begged.

"B-but Tenten. You don't want this." Hinata commented.

"Of course, I don't want this, but what other choice do I have, Hinata? I don't have the luxury to leave. I don't have any talents. I just can't leave, so please don't tell him! Promise me." Tenten squeezed her arms tighter. "Promise me!"

"I promised!" Hinata shouted.


Naruto was out of breath when he finally caught up to Hinata. When she was close enough, he grabbed her by her arms and began to examine her. He was still trying to catch his breath, but he had to ensure there were no marks on Hinata's body. Once he had calmed down, he stared angrily at her.

"Hinata! Do you know how dangerous it is for you just to take off like that? I was looking everywhere for you, and I even called out to you. What were you thinking?"

She glanced at him but lowered her gaze. She knew he was angry, and he had every right to be.

"I'm sorry."

He loosened his grip, then dropped his arms to his side. "Please don't do that again. Even if you're dressed like that, this village is not safe. If anyone was to find out you were a woman, they could have taken you."

"Did you know about Tenten?" She whispered.

"About what?"

"You did." She answered.

Naruto was confused about what she was saying. His mind was still in shambles from Hinata running away.

Hinata knew Naruto had to know, he was observant and quick to catch on. He knew… he knew from their first encounter in the streets, and he didn't say anything. She felt useless. Why wasn't she observant like him?

"I'm sorry for running off like that. Tenten left suddenly, leaving behind her pouch. I wanted to give it back to her." She said, holding the flower pouch tightly. She didn't get to give it back to Tenten.

He knew he couldn't stay mad at her for long, and there was clearly something troubling her.

"Did something happen?" Naruto questioned, lifting Hinata's chin so she could look him in the eyes. He raised his eyebrow questionably.


She should have been used to this, but her body could never get used to all those different hands on her, touching her, making her feel this way.

Tenten backed herself into the corner, looking at the two men staring down at her. No. She wasn't new to this but thinking about Hinata brought tears to her eyes. Just thinking about her own life, and how much she had to endure for so long made her feel the most important part of her had shattered. Having a friend like Hinata made her feel what it was like to have someone there. Being around men like Naruto, Sasuke, and Konohamaru made her realize that not all men were bad. Not all men wanted sex. Just these few days, they made her realize all of that, and how she didn't want to be this anymore. She would rather kill herself than to continue this lifestyle.

"Come on girly. Yoshiko said you're good at what ya do. So, start taking it off." A snaggled tooth man said, sounding slightly drunk.

Chewing down on her bottom lip, Tenten shook her head. "N-no."

"Eh?" The other man said, tilting his head to the side. "Who'er talkin' to?"

"Ah!" Tenten stumbled to the floor when the snaggled tooth man slapped her down. He grabbed her by one of her hair buns and threw her on the futon. The entire time Tenten kicked and scream, but the two men were too powerful for her. She could feel herself slowly giving up as he continuously hit her in the face and grabbed at her hair. The stench of the alcohol and his continuous beating was becoming unbearable which made her queasy.

"Ah, stop messin' round." The other guy told the snaggled tooth man.

Tenten screamed at the top of her lungs for the men to leave her alone or for at least somebody to hear her, but who would? This was a brothel. The screams were normal. She chewed on her bottom lip as she prayed for them to finish with her quickly. After this was over, she had already made it up in her mind that she would kill herself. She was more sorrier about the pain she would cause Hinata than what she was about to do. Once Hinata left, then what? Life would go back to the same thing again and she didn't think she could go through life now that she had gotten a taste of it.

As the snaggle tooth man was about to pull her kimono off, there was a knock on the door. They didn't pay mind to it as they speculated someone had come to the wrong room. The kimono made a ripping sound as the man tore at her kimono sleeves. A slight whimper escaped Tenten's mouth. She didn't want to do this. Not anymore. There was another knock.

"This room is occupied!" The drunkard man shouted. "Come on and hurry up!" He urged the snaggled tooth man.

"Tenten?"

Her eyes widened by the soft voice.

"I guess she isn't here. Let's check the other room."

Her eyes went blurry from the tears, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, "I'm here!"

The two men stared at the girl oddly, especially when she began to kick and hit them so they wouldn't come any closer.

"This damn bitch has lost her mind!"

"Keep still!"

She continued to kick and trash and when she thought all hope was lost, the door burst open. Her heart thumped uncontrollably when she saw Hinata.

The two men looked at the intruders suspiciously. "The room is occupied. Didn't ya hear us?"

Hinata pushed between Naruto and Sasuke and shoved the two men away from Tenten. "Tenten, are you okay?" Hinata asked as she wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry for telling them, but I had to! Can you please forgive me?"

Nodding her head, she buried her face into Hinata's chest and cried her eyes out. "T-thank you!"

Seeing the state Tenten was in lit a torch in Naruto as the images of Hinata came to mind that day in the house. Both Sasuke and Konohamaru were also disgusted at what these men did to the young girl.

"We paid good money for her, so get ya own!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"What's going on? What's going on!" Yoshiko shouted, barging into the open room. "I don't remember any of you paying!" He said, pointing at the three men. "Get out! Get out!" Then he pointed at Tenten, who was being held by Hinata. "And you stupid wench, didn't I tell you what I would do to you if you don't make money! Huh! Huh!" He shouted. Tenten flinched when she saw the enraged man taking off his leather belt. That belt had inflicted so many scars and left many bad memories with her.

Hinata stared in disbelief at the pathetic man. Did he really mean to beat Tenten in front of everyone?

"I'll teach you not to disrespect me!" He snarled. He raised the belt towards the two girls.

"What the fuck do you think you're about to do?"

Every man jumped when Naruto posed that question. Even Sasuke was slightly tickled by his friend's tone. Yoshiko stiffened, but he slowly glanced at Naruto and eyed him down. "This girl belongs to me. She's my property." He said, yanking Tenten by her hair. "Leave if you ain't paying!"

"Hey!" Hinata jumped up. "Let her go!"

Tenten clawed at his hands trying to free herself.

The two drunkards felt very uneasy in the presence of these men. They didn't say a word and remained quiet in the situation. All eyes widened when Sasuke punched the man in the face, which made him loosen his grip on Tenten's hair. Tenten fell to her knees, and Hinata quickly helped her up.

Sasuke grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his knuckles. "Filthy bastard," He grumbled.

Naruto grabbed the belt Yoshiko was holding and his grip tightened. How much did this girl have to endure? The belt was old and worn out, but the marks on it told a whole story. His grip tightened as he stared at the man.

"I'm nobody's property!" Tenten screamed. "This is my body, not yours!" She cried. "Just leave me alone!"

That scream had been long overdue, and she was proud to finally let it off her chest.

"You… you! You!"

"Here," Naruto said, handing her the belt. Yoshiko's eyes widened when he saw the belt in Tenten's hand. "An eye for an eye."

Konohamaru felt a chill down his spine upon hearing that.

"Maybe it's time he feels how it is to be whipped mercilessly," Sasuke added.

"You wouldn't dare," Yoshiko said, shakenly.

Tenten looked over the belt, then at Yoshiko. He knew she wouldn't dare lay a hand on him as he had done everything for her. The girl wouldn't—

Lowering her head, she took a deep breath before she glanced at the belt. Yoshiko let out a scream when the belt stung his face. She gritted her teeth as she panted. Hinata stared in shock, but she secretly cheered Tenten on.

Konohamaru closed his eyes as the whips sounded in the room.

Tears flooded her vision, but that didn't stop her from whipping the man as he had done her so many times. It felt good hearing him beg for mercy, but she didn't let up. He deserved it. He deserved everything he had coming. Being forced into this work at a young age was damaging. And although she couldn't escape, that didn't stop her from helping the other girls. Men made her weary and she always tensed up when she saw a young girl travelling with a bunch of men. At first, she didn't believe Hinata, but those days she spent around them made her see men in a different light. They weren't all bad.

She dropped the belt to the floor and Naruto quickly caught her as she had fainted. Seeing her battered body upset him greatly. If it hadn't been for him being a stranger in this land, he would have killed that bastard.

"Let's get out of here," Sasuke said, shooting a dangerous glare at the drunken men.

Hinata grabbed the blanket from the futon and threw it over Tenten to cover her up. Carefully, Naruto held her in his arms, and they quickly made their way out of the brothel.


A day went by when Tenten finally woke up. The pain from her body shocked her, but that didn't hurt her as much as she did when she woke up to an empty room. Memories of that night flooded her mind and it felt good to finally deal with that man, but now… she was left alone. That was fine. It was better if Hinata was gone so she wouldn't know the sin she was about to commit.

The door creaked eerily which made Tenten clench up. Her eyes watered when she saw Hinata peeking head in the door.

"Tenten!" she shouted, pushing the door open. "You're finally up!"

"You're still here." She whispered. "What about your ferry? You're going to have to wait another three days before it comes!"

Hinata sat on the edge of the bed and frowned. "Who cares? The ferry will always come, but we wanted to make sure you were feeling better."

Tenten wiped her eyes trying to stop the tears from flowing. "You should have left me." Hinata went to touch Tenten, but she quickly pulled away. "Why didn't you leave me? It would have been better if you left because killing myself would have been easier!"

A deafening silence engulfed the room. "Life was probably horrible during those days for you, huh? I'm sorry you had to spend most of your life like this and no number of words I say will ever make what you went through any better."

"I was sixteen when I was brought here and I always thought it would get better, but as the days went by, I realized it was foolish thinking." She squeezed her hands. "I prayed every night to be taken away, and one day I got sick. Nobody knew what the sickness was, but a bunch of the villagers were dropping down like flies. I thought to myself, finally. Finally, I can be free, but—" She choked. "I survived." She held herself. "I'm so alone."

Hinata remained silent, soaking up everything Tenten had said.

"You don't have to be alone anymore," Hinata finally said. Tenten gazed at her. "My master is a little concerned about your safety, especially with last night's events. He's afraid that man is going to come after you."

Tenten turned pale.

"Tenten, we need some help at home. Konohamaru is going to be in school full time and I'm afraid it's going to just be me, so if it isn't too much to ask would you like to be a part of our family?"

Hinata let out a squeak when Tenten wrapped her arms around her. "Yes! Yes, please!"

Words could express how happy Tenten truly was. It had been a long time since she'd felt this way. "I promise you I won't make your life a burden." She said, taking Hinata's hands into his. "Oh Hinata," There was a warmth to her smile. "You don't know how happy you've made me."

"Excuse me, sir?" Konohamaru said, surprisingly.

"After much discussion with Hinata, she's right. At your age, you belong in school. So, once we return to Konoha you'll be enrolled full-time." Naruto said.

"But—"

"There's no need to overthink, Konohamaru. You'll still be living with us."

"But what about the chores? I don't want to be a freeloader!"

Naruto brushed off his concerns. "If Hinata has work for you to do, she'll let you know but right now she wants you to focus on your schoolwork and I couldn't agree more with her. Since Tenten is joining our household, Hinata will have help."

Konohamaru wanted to do a backflip to show how happy he was, but he settled on giving Naruto a big hug. "I won't disappoint you!"

"I know you won't. Why don't you wash up so we can get dinner?"

"Yes, sir!" Konohamaru said, saluting the man.

When he left, Sasuke chuckled. "Are you practicing for fatherhood?"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Naruto said dryly.

"At least it'll keep him busy," Sasuke added.

Naruto nodded.

"What about the girl? Can she be trusted?"

"We'll see," Naruto said, standing up. "Ah, just when I thought I had gotten rid of Konohamaru for a few hours, this happens." He crossed his arms.

Sasuke stared at his dear friend in amusement. "You know by bringing this girl, there's going to be a lot more talk."

"There's nothing I can do to stop those types of things from happening." He shrugged.

"We're here another three more days," Sasuke sighed.

"At least that woman gave us a discount. I think she likes you." Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke scoffed. "It's amazing how you could see that, but you couldn't see your feelings for Hinata." He shoved his hands into his pocket. He was getting ready to leave the room.

That struck a nerve within Naruto. "Oi, teme. Say that again."

"I'm not a broken record, dobe." Sasuke shrugged. "Dobe!" He suddenly screamed when Naruto jumped on his back.

"Where's that almighty Uchiha eye, huh?"

Both Tenten and Hinata glanced at one another when they heard a ruckus outside. There was a lot of swearing going on, and Hinata pinched her nose as she knew exactly who was cursing.

"Tenten, I'll be right back," she said, standing up.

The door closed, leaving Tenten only with her imagination of what was happening outside.

"Naruto." She heard. "What were those words you were saying just now?"

"B-but teme, and he… Hinata!" Naruto groaned. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"That soap in the mouth didn't teach you a lesson last time. So, let's try it again."

"Hinata! Please! No!"

"Konohamaru, please get me a bar of soap."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Konohamaru! How could you?"

Tenten couldn't help but laugh at the commotion happening outside. When it died down, she got up off the bed and walked towards the open window. Outside was beautiful with the colorful swirls of orange and red painting the sky. The sun was radiant. Smiling, she reached towards the sun to catch its warm rays.

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